Carton



y 1963 E. T. BRYANT ETAL 3,09

July 2, 1963 E. T. BRYANT ETAL CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1961 EDWARD T. BRYANT JOHN T M NEALLY 'gZM Q44 A ORNEY United States Patent 3,096,012 CARTON Edward T. Bryant and John T. McNeally, Chesterfield County, Va., assignors to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 99,129 1 Claim. (6]. 229-52) This invention relates to a thermal carton having an integral handle to facilitate the carrying thereof.

Attempts have been made to develop a sound and economical carrying carton with a handle having sufficient strength to support products of substantial weight. For example, in containers for carrying beverages, a limit exists as to the total weight which can be supported by the carton structures commercially produced. Attempts to support greater loads have involved the use of expensive and elaborate fastening structures, including staples, stitching, added interlocking parts, and the like.

The present invention provides a carton which can be economically produced from a single blank, and which has a handle structure that distributes part of the load to the stock material of the sides and bottom, thereby relieving the connections between the top panels and handle. This is accomplished by the combination of a bellows fold and a tie flap connected thereto at opposite sides of the top whereby, upon lifting the carton, the bellows folds are opened, the load is resiliently supported from the handle, and the lifting force is distributed to the sides and bottom of the carton.

The carton preferably has a foil laminate on its outer surface whereby it can serve as an attractive thermal carton for beverages. The tie flaps connected to the bellows folds serve the added important purposes of sealing the carton from dirt and also providing a reasonably satisfactory thermal seal.

For a better understanding of the invention and its other objects, advantages and details, reference is now made to the present preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown, for purposes of illustration only, in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container with its top open;

FIG. 2 is a side view with the top closed and the handle partially elevated toward the position it assumes when the carton is lifted;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the portion of the carton taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view looking upward at one side of the top taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inside face of the prepared blank from which the carton may be formed, adhesive being shown as shaded areas.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen in FIG. 5 that the carton is made from a one piece prepared blank longitudinally and transversely scored to form: a connecting fiap 15, a front panel 17, a side panel 19, a back panel 21 and a side panel 23; also two outer bottom panels 25, 25 and two inner bellows bottom panels 27, 27 positioned therebetween; also a pair of outer top flaps 29, 31 and a pair of inner top flaps 33, 35 diagonally scored to provide bellows folds. Connected by score lines to the other transverse edges of the outer top flaps 29 and 31 are handle elements 37 and 39 respectively having finger receiving apertures 41, 41 formed therein with interlocking cushion strips 43, 43 hingedly connected to the top edges of the apertures. As shown, the bottom forming panels include the bellows fold construction which are glued in the normal manner.

As mentioned, the inner top flaps 33, 35 have diagonal fold lines 45, 46 extending from their corners at their ice respective side panels 19, 23, each pair of fold lines extending toward each other and terminating at the opposite transverse edge of their respective inner top flap to provide a bellows fold.

A tie flap 47 is connected to the aforementioned opposite transverse edge of inner top flap '33 between the longitudinal edge thereof and the end of the nearer diagonal fold line 45. A similar tie flap 49 extends from the other inner top flap 35 and is positioned adjacent the same panel as was the previously mentioned tie 47, namely the back panel 21. In other words, tie flaps 47 and 49 are adjacent the same handle element 39 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. The tie flaps may be oppositely placed as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5.

The diagonal fold lines 45 and 46 (-FIG. 5) are 45 degree lines and terminate at apeXes 51 and 52 respectively to define base isosceles triangular members 53 and 54 respectively and upper right triangular wing members 55, 57 and 59, 61 respectively. The tie flaps 47 and 49 are substantially similar in shape to their respective wing members 55 and 61 so that they may be connected thereto in face-to-face engagement as shown in 'FIG. 4, certain edges of the tie flaps 47 and 49 being undercut to facilitate assembly and manipulation.

The carton may be viewed as being made up of pairs of members of equal size, that is, the outer top flaps 29 and 31 are of equal size thereby positioning the handle elements 37 and 39 in face-to-face abutting relation at a centrally disposed position in a central vertical plane between the front and back panels 17 and 2-1.

In use, the carton blank would be assembled into the condition shown in FIG. 1 after which beverage containers would be inserted, followed by the closing of the top with the face-to-face connection of the inside face of each tie flap 47 and 49 to the portion of the bellows fold (wing members 55' and 61) positioned thereover. It wll be noted in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the tie flap 47 is sandwiched within the bellows fold and may be glued to wing member 55 by the simple application of pressure. The handle elements 37 and 39 may then be interlocked by the cushion strips as seen in FIG. 2.

The carton shown has an outer foil laminate 63 (FIGS. 3 and 4), the foil being a shiny metallic material such as aluminum, to provide superior thermal characteristics and attractive packaging. The tie fiap and bellows fold combination enables the formation of a glued connection therebetween in that the pulp board inside face of the tie flap engages the metal foil outer face of its wing member positioned thereover. This adhesively formed connection has a superior strength which cannot be obtained by a foil-to-foil adhesively formed connection.

It will be noted in FIGS. 2 and 3 that as the handle is elevated, the bellows fold opens prior to the transmission of the lifting force to the body of the container. This flexing action shifts an important and substantial portion of the lifting force through the outer top flaps 29 and 31 to the front and back panels 17 and 21 and ultimately to the structurally sound bottom. In this way the stress on the adhesive joint between each tie flap and its bellows fold is substantially reduced.

While the present preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be recognized that the invention may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A thermal carton formed from a one-piece scored blank of a laminated board having an outer foil laminate surface and an inner pulp board surface, said carton comprising a front panel, a back panel and two side panels connected together along their edges to form a body of rectangular cross section, inner top flaps of equal size connected to the transverse top edges of said side panels, each inner top flaphaving 45 degree fold lines extending from its corners at its side panel, said lines extending toward each other and terminating at an apex at the opposite transverse edge to provide a bellows fold for each inner top flap, outer top flaps of equal size connected to the top edges of said front panel and back panel, said inner top flaps and sai d outer top flaps being connected along their adjacent longitudinal edges, a handle element connected to the other transverse edge of each of said outer top flaps, the handle elements being connected in face-to-face relation to provide a centrally disposed handle, a tie flap connected to said opposite transverse edge of each inner top flap at one side of said apex, each tie flap being sandwiched within the bellows fold formed by its inner top flap and adhered in face-to-face engagement to the portion of the bellows fold positioned thereover, said face-to-face engagement being made by the inner pulp board surface of the tie flaps and the outer foil laminate surfaces of their respective bellows folds, said tie flaps having a right triangular shape conforming substantially to the portion of the bellows fold to which it is adhered.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,885 McAleer Apr. 3, 1934 2,132,925 Bensel Oct. 11, 1938 2,355,730 Inman Aug. 15, 1944 2,830,001 Barnes et al. Apr. 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 533,895 Italy Oct. 1, 1955 562,966 Great Britain July 24, 1944 65,263 Denmark Dec. 23, 1946 

